Regularly drinking tea or coffee at very high temperatures may increase the risk of developing oesophageal cancer, according to researchers, BBC reported.
Researchers said the findings, based on nearly one million people, represent the largest study to date to demonstrate a link between consuming very hot drinks and the disease.
The study found that people who drank beverages classified as “very hot” were around three times more likely to develop oesophageal cancer than those who drank their tea or coffee warm.
Researchers said extremely hot liquids could damage the lining of the oesophagus as they pass through towards the stomach.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Oxford and published in the International Journal of Cancer, defined “very hot” drinks as those consumed at temperatures of 65°C or above.
The risk was also found to increase among people who drank six or more hot beverages a day, based on data from 977,282 middle-aged men and women.
Although adding milk may lower the temperature slightly, researchers warned that milky tea or coffee could still be too hot to drink safely.
Tea poured immediately after water has boiled in a kettle can reach close to 100°C. Once poured into a cup, its temperature typically falls to around 90°C to 95°C.
Lead researcher Dr Keren Papier said studies in South America, where very hot herbal drinks such as mate are commonly consumed, had also found a similar link between hot beverages and oesophageal cancer.
However, she stressed that further research was needed to determine the exact temperatures at which hot drinks may begin to increase the risk of the disease.
